Since the introduction of computers the entertainment sector has seen offerings progress from single purpose devices to all-in-one solutions. It is no longer enough to offer only a dock, or a gaming solution. Rather consumers demand an entire entertainment system with multiple applications.
The present invention seeks to offer such a solution by combining several electronics that allow for both gaming and multimedia playback, amongst other capabilities. The present invention introduces a base unit, a handheld controller, and a remote computing device which can interact in several ways with smartphone devices to support the aforementioned features. The base unit is able to support both the handheld controller and the remote computing device. In which, the remote computing device (smart remote control) is held (docked) into the handheld controller, which serves as the brains of the handheld controller. This allows for charging of the handheld controller, and a remote computing device which enables interaction with smartphone devices. This also enables outputting multimedia from the remote computing device to connected systems, such as televisions and speakers.
The handheld controller interfaces with the remote computing device to enable gameplay, for example, with visual data being displayed through the remote computing device. However, the whole purpose of the present invention is the actual interactivity and unification with a smartphone or tablet device, achieved thanks to both direct and indirect (i.e. wired or wireless) connections between the handheld controller and the base unit as well as receptacles for said smartphone or tablet. The handheld controller also emphasizes ergonomic improvements, providing elliptical grooves along several inputs which are more comfortable for a person's fingers.
The improvements offered by the present invention are further detailed and expanded upon below.